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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24576355">The Waffle House Rivalry</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/708_things/pseuds/bang-the-smoke'>bang-the-smoke (708_things)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Home Depot, Love Confessions, M/M, Rivalry, Romance, Waffle House</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:40:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24576355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/708_things/pseuds/bang-the-smoke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eddie's on his first date with Myra when he meets his one true rival. Richie ends up messing up his food on purpose, and from there, they strike up a rivalry. But as he finds out, the boundaries between love and hate are very vaguely defined, and he finds himself completely obsessed with the cook from Waffle House.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eddie Kaspbrak/Myra Kaspbrak, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Waffle House Rivalry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by the r/relationships post "My (29F) Boyfriend (29M) keeps getting into fights with a cook at Waffle House. </p>
<p>They have chaotic dumbass energy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Eddie was never known for being a patient man. Normally, he could keep it under control to still have a good impression on others, but this fact would remain consistent, especially with the Waffle House Rivalry. He just felt like by principle, making mistakes is okay if they are corrected in a reasonable manner, but nothing about his current predicament was reasonable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had all started when he took Myra out to Waffle House for their first date. He didn’t really want to date her to begin with, but he figured it would get his mother off his back for a while. That, and Eddie really had a weakness for breakfast food. Something about it was sacred. It was something about how certain foods should only be consumed at a certain time, lest causing a disruption.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll have just the hash browns, nothing on them,” Myra said to the cook. She placed her menu down and gestured towards Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’ll have some eggs, please,” Eddie said. “Soft-boiled,” he added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cook nodded, writing it down. “I’ll bring it to you guys shortly,” he said, thus leaving the two alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Eddie. Where do you work?” Myra questioned, reminding Eddie that this was, in fact, a date, and that he shouldn’t put so much attention on his appetite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He answered her question, and the two exchanged some funny stories from their workplaces. To be honest, everything was going well to this point. While he still wasn’t particularly interested in her romantically, Eddie could definitely at least see her as a good friend in the future.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cook soon returned with their food, and this was the beginning of the Waffle House Rivalry. Myra’s hash browns were cooked excellently, but when Eddie’s plate was placed down in front of him, he was displeased that his egg’s weren’t runny. They were hard. It was quite an honest mistake, so he kindly asked the cook if he could remake them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” the cook grinned. “It would be my pleasure.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t expect what happened next.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra was almost done with her meal when the cook returned with Eddie’s food. This time, his eggs were scrambled, which was definitely not what he asked for. Combined with the fact that the cook seemed to laugh in his face, Eddie knew it wasn’t a mistake. It was a declaration of war. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, he complained again, this time just out of pettiness. He didn’t mind eating scrambled eggs, but it was about the blatant disrespect the cook was showing him. He was treating him like the dirt under his shoe, or perhaps a mere ant that he would crush. Eddie wasn’t going to take the man’s bullshit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And when the cook returned again, he was greeted with hard boiled eggs, which was still not what he requested. Eddie narrowed his eyes, feeling his anger rising. There was a moment where everything stood still, and he was fully prepared to jump the man and show him how upset he was about the hard boiled eggs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra, sensing this, cautiously put a hand on his shoulder. “Uh, I think you should just… eat it,” she said. “It’s clear he’s not going to fix it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t fucking get it. It wasn’t about the food anymore! It was so much more than that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, he knew she had a point. Also, he knew this was sending a dangerous impression over to Myra, and he didn’t want her to know how insane he actually was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie brought his gaze down to the cook’s name tag, reading that his name was Richie. “This isn’t over, Richie,” he said, grabbing his fork. “It may be but a short moment in the monotony of your day, but to me it is eternal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed as if Richie completely understood what he was talking about, which gave him the idea that the man was clearly deranged, like he himself was. He wasn’t just some bored troll, but rather someone who knew very well the implications and the wrongs in which he was committing; Richie just couldn’t help but relish in it, relish in the knowledge that he had ruined more than Eddie’s day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I eagerly await your next move,” Richie answered, before disappearing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie ate his hard-boiled eggs, looking unhappy. "Uh," Myra said, clearing her throat. "That was… weird."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I suppose," he granted. "I'm sorry. I know that went out of hand…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let's just finish up," she smiled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And so they did. The rest of the date was fine, but Eddie couldn't help but throw glances at the cook, as he was working. He wondered if he pulled the same tricks with other customers. Surely he's not that incompetent with his job.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie's attention was more on Richie than it was on Myra, and he was terrified that she was aware of it. But they had left the Waffle House holding hands, and she had given him a kiss on the cheek before parting to go to her car. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned back to look at the Waffle House, amusement in his eyes. Eddie knew they would be coming back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next time they had a date, Eddie had no choice but to take her to the theater downtown. Myra had raved to his mother about this spectacular musical she’d heard about from some coworkers, and his mother had baggered him for days to take her there. See, Eddie had made the mistake of saying that their first date at Waffle House went well, and she had taken that as a sign that he liked her to some degree. He couldn’t really blame her for being excited, but he wasn’t exactly happy about being forced to take her out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s called West Side Story,” Myra explained, as they took their seats. “See, it’s all about forbidden love. Like Romeo and Juliet, except less stupid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fun,” Eddie commented, though he didn’t really have much of an opinion on the matter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The musical ended up also being a positive experience. He didn’t really anticipate that he would enjoy the music, but it was amazing. He gave the show his rapt attention, and his thoughts didn’t stray until the intermission before act two. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve always had a thing for enemies turning to lovers,” Myra confessed. “I mean, I thought Romeo and Juliet was kinda stupid, but their romance was cute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can see why you’d like it,” Eddie agreed. “But not all enemies turn into lovers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra chuckled, with amusement in her eyes as she remembered a story from her youth. “Of course not!” she exclaimed. “When I was in elementary, there was this girl I absolutely hated, and one could consider us enemies. But we were enemies because we liked the same boy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, definitely no romantic feelings there,” Eddie laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra soon excused herself to the restroom, since they knew the intermission was going to end quicker than they realized. Their conversation had made Eddie question many things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie had never had an enemy before. He’s hated people before, but it’s never been very intense. He has never despised anyone, but there’s a moment where he’s sitting in his seat, waiting for Myra, when he thinks that maybe he does. Maybe he does have an enemy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was something about the cook from Waffle House. The cook had lingered in his mind for days. Sometimes, he would pause and wonder if he was purposefully giving another person the wrong order. Sometimes, he wondered if it was just him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s just incompetent,” he muttered to himself. “We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>enemies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was easy enough to convince himself that the rage he had felt was just situational. In fact, he knew it would never happen again. If he returned to the same Waffle House, there was no way the events of the previous visit would repeat. Even if it did, Eddie knew he would have a better control of himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Myra approaching, so he took a deep breath and forced himself to remove all Waffle House related thoughts from his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie waited another week before he asked if Myra wanted to go to Waffle House. By then, she had forgotten the dramatic events of the first time they went there, so she easily agreed. She, too, liked breakfast food, but Eddie had the feeling she would say yes to any date he asked her to go on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just like he expected, the same cook was working there, and he was taking their order again. Eddie desperately hoped this would be normal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, Myra orders some hash browns. Eddie, not wanting a repeat of the egg incident, changed his order. “And I’ll have some waffles, please.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And they locked eyes. They hold it for a moment, before Eddie turns to grab Myra’s menu and puts both of theirs down and away. He wondered if the desperation in his words gave him away, gave away that he was a different man than he had encountered earlier. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should go see another musical, or play, sometime,” Myra offered, distracting him from his thoughts. “You liked West Side Story, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was pretty good,” Eddie admitted, a small smile on his lips. “I wasn’t expecting to like it, but it was entertaining.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad,” she replied, grinning. There were times that her happiness, and his disinterest, made him feel guilty. Even now, the smile on her face made his heart clench, knowing that he was playing her. She’s not even a bad person, so Eddie should be able to fall for her, but he just… can’t. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every time they spend time together, he always feels himself drifting off. Sometimes, it’s easy to shake it off, especially when it’s because he’s thinking about the cook at Waffle House, but sometimes it’s not. Sometimes, it’s harder because he doesn’t have a good reason to think about everything except her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra’s clearly thinking of the next date. Eddie can’t blame her; it’s not like eating at Waffle House is an exciting date. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have returned!” The cook cheered, carrying two plates. He placed down Myra’s first, revealing perfectly cooked hash browns. Eddie took a deep breath and braced himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He placed Eddie’s plate down. His heart sank.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His waffles were burnt. It wasn’t even a little bit burnt, which could’ve been an accident; the whole waffle looked like shit. And this time, too, it’s more than the food, it’s more than being disrespectful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was Richie’s declaration of war, his statement that it hadn’t been a one-time thing. Eddie had hoped, even pleaded, for it to not be so, but if he wanted war, Eddie was going to give him war. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made his mind up. “You motherfucker,” he grunted, before standing up and punching him. Immediately, the cook just throws a punch, and then the two are officially fighting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s not very intense, but the two keep punching each other. Eddie just wanted to show him not to mess with him, but the determination on Richie’s face proved to him that he was willing to throw down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From the other side of the room, a lady screamed, “CAN I PLEASE GET A WAFFLE?!”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me a minute!” Richie called out to her, not even looking away from Eddie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie could faintly hear that Myra’s screaming too, begging them to stop. But he didn’t plan on stopping. He was hoping they could maybe settle it here. His fist started to hurt, and parts of his face felt numb. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell is going on over here?” Then, he watched as another employee pulled Richie away, holding him back. The employee had curly brown hair and honestly didn’t seem surprised Richie got himself in a fight. Eddie wondered if he often picked fights with people, or if it was just him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stan, this is my enemy,” Richie declared, and Eddie almost cracked a smile. “He’s a dickhead, which means I should be allowed to fight him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie was tempted to continue to listen to them arguing, but Myra started angrily ranting at him. “Eddie, why’d you punch him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He messed up my order again!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Accidents happen!” Myra exclaimed, staring at him incredulously. “You can’t fault him for that!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I can,” he argued. “He’s never gotten my order right. He’s doing it on purpose, and my mother didn’t raise a little bitch boy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Actually, his mother </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>raise him like that, but that didn’t mean he had to become a little bitch. Honestly, he didn’t really want to discuss his mother’s parenting at the moment, but the line had sounded cool in his head. This whole situation felt like it was coming from a movie, so part of him felt obligated to fulfill that role and make it more dramatic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though, he supposed, he had a right to be dramatic. Richie had referred to him as his enemy, so clearly his feelings were reciprocated on the matter. And though the cook was certainly being scolded, he could tell Richie didn’t regret his actions. And neither did he. He would’ve punched him a thousand times over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I’ll have to discuss that with her,” Myra snapped. “I don’t think she’ll be too happy about this. Your nose is bleeding!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it?” He grabbed a napkin and wiped off some of the blood. He was surprised. He was running on adrenaline through the fight, and it didn’t really hurt much. Everything was sort of a dull ache in comparison to the burning rage he felt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t feel like he had to defend himself. “Eat your food,” Myra demanded, digging into her hash browns with ferocity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not eating this shit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even looking down at the waffles made him feel disgusted. Also, eating them would be like surrendering, and there was no way he was going to surrender. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra quickly finished eating. “Let’s just pay and go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And so they did. Again, Eddie and Richie made eye contact. “Come back soon,” he said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We won’t,” Myra retorted, already moving to leave. Eddie waited for her to get out of the restaurant before properly replying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not over,” he said. “Asshole.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dickhead,” Richie replied, but a smile was tugging at his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shook his head before turning and leaving. “We’re going to your mother’s,” she said. “You’re gonna tell her that you got in a fight at Waffle House!” She sounded disgusted when she said the restaurant’s name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” he asked. “You’re already acting like her. She’ll say everything you’ve already said.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie, I am your girlfriend! I have the right to be upset, just like she does. We’re going.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie never asked her to be his girlfriend. He was starting to think that maybe she was delusional. Either way, he wasn’t looking forward to explaining to his mother what happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A WAFFLE HOUSE?!” She ended up screaming. “EDDIE BEAR, YOU KNOW BETTER!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed as though they didn’t know him at all. He never apologized, and continued to defend himself. The two, realizing he wasn’t going to give it up, quit while they’re ahead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie saw it as a victory, hopefully the first of many in this war he had found himself in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra tried taking him to another musical. Eddie was less than amused, having seen some of her true colors. She was very much like his mother, and yet he didn’t have the heart to break it off yet. (Not that there was anything to break off. Myra had just decided they were in a relationship.)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That one wasn’t as good,” she commented after it ended. The two were back in the car, reflecting on their experience. “I’ll let you pick next time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Waffle House?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words had tumbled out of his mouth quickly, as though they were the deepest of his desires. And it was. Something was calling him to go back to the restaurant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Myra’s face dropped. “I don’t understand,” she said. “There’s nothing exciting about Waffle House!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie bit his tongue, knowing that the only interesting part about Waffle House was his enemy. “What’s so bad about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Every time we go there, you just fight the cook!” she yelled. “It’s like you pay more attention to him than you do to me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was some truth to her words, but Eddie wasn’t ready to think about that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t get it,” Eddie pleaded. “He’s my enemy. You know, like Romeo and Juliet!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then there was like a spark in her eyes, bright and yet oh so terrifying. “Eddie,” she shuddered. “Romeo and Juliet fell in love… Is that what this is? Did you… fall for him?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” he exclaimed, without thinking about it. “Just… There’s just this feeling that I have to go see him, have to go fight him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve lost you!” Suddenly, Myra’s crying, tears rolling down her cheeks and her nose sniffling loudly. “I’m your girlfriend, and I’ve lost you to some man!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were never my girlfriend! You just decided you were!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t you just go marry him?! Marry the stupid cook from Waffle House.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“His name’s Richie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course you know his name!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He has a name tag!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From there, they were silent, the only noise being Myra’s sobbing and sniffling. He felt bad, but he also felt like part of this was inevitable. There was always going to be a time where she realized that Eddie was not as interested in her as she was for him. But accusing him of being in love with Richie was insane. Maybe he had misspoken and didn’t explain their rivalry well, but he couldn’t believe she really thought he was in love with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie has never even met him outside Waffle House, outside of their vaguely defined war zone. He hasn’t even had the chance to get to know him, and somehow he was in love with him? It was just passionate hatred. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe he should’ve compared their rivalry to Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, but Eddie didn’t really expect to get in a fight to the death with Richie, so in the moment, it hadn’t seemed accurate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Drive me home,” she demanded. He did. She got out of his car, slamming the car door shut. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time, Eddie really did feel like he was a dickhead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Due to his guilt, he avoided the restaurant. It had been two weeks since he last went to Waffle House, and he had to admit, he missed it. He missed the days when he’d get good food, but he also missed when him and Richie would fight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie decided he needed a way to get his mind off of it, so he went to Home Depot. A couple of years ago, he had tried keeping a potted plant alive. While that didn’t last long, he remembered how fun it turned out to be. Maybe he was at a more stable point in his life where he would remember to take care of a plant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s browsing around the plants, wondering if he could find something low-maintenance. Maybe he should get a cactus. If he happened to forget to water it a few times, the cactus would probably live. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes darted over to the other side, and he locked eyes with Richie. What the hell was he doing at Home Depot? This was the crossover he didn’t want.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then Richie walked over to him. “Look what the cat dragged in,” he said. “Are you going to fight one of the employees here too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah,” Eddie replied, shaking his head. “None of the employees are assholes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie laughed, and Eddie joined in with him. A moment later, a woman walked over to them, standing by his side. She had strikingly red hair and friendly eyes. “Is this the Waffle House guy?” she asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s me!” Eddie exclaimed, oddly touched that Richie shared that with a friend. He didn’t recall seeing her at the Waffle House, so she probably worked somewhere else. Richie would’ve had to tell her about how he got in a fight with a customer. Definitely would be an interesting story.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I get a name to match your face?” Richie questioned, crossing his arms. “It’s a bit weird to call you the guy from Waffle House.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, all he wondered was how often Richie talked about him. Not that it mattered. Eddie hadn’t told many people about Richie, so the thought that he goes around telling people about him is strangely intimate. Especially since the dude doesn’t know his name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie,” he said. “I would ask for yours, but you had a name tag.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Beverly,” the woman introduced herself. “But you can call me Bev, for short. I have to admit, I was immediately a fan of yours when I heard you punched the fuck out of him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From there, there’s a friendly atmosphere between them, despite the fact that Richie’s his enemy and this was the first time he’d met Bev. “Someone had to put him in his place,” Eddie replied, before chuckling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They kept it up for a while, but the conversation reached a natural conclusion when Bev reminded Richie they had to go by the light bulbs. They only came to Home Depot for some light bulbs, but allegedly it’s really hard to keep Richie’s attention in a store. “I guess I’ll see you soon at Waffle House with your girlfriend, right?” Richie asked. As soon as he asked, his eyes diverted to the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Probably not with her,” Eddie replied, remembering the end of their relationship, even though it wasn’t really officially a relationship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, you guys broke up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bev nudged Richie, as if to remind him that was an impolite question. Eddie waved it off with a grin. “It’s fine. It was probably inevitable. She acted a lot like my mother…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Some people are into that,” Richie shrugged. “But, uh… We really gotta go. See you soon?” Again, he was asking if Eddie would come back to the Waffle House. Eddie wondered if he was as desperate as he himself was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he answered. “I’ll see you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two left, sending him a wave and a grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie looked around more, knowing he was distracted. It had been strange to meet Richie outside of Waffle House, but he supposed it was a positive experience. It would be weird to come back to Waffle House and pick a fight after getting to know him a little. He didn’t want to mess up their little dynamic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He ended up buying a cactus, so it was a win-win. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie does end up returning to the Waffle House, and he tried to ignore the way Richie’s face lit up when he saw him. That wasn’t really enemy behavior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatcha want today, Eddie?” he asked. “I promise I won’t mess it up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, sure,” he replied, knowing that he would. That was their thing. “Can I get some pancakes, please?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Richie smiled, and Eddie knew then that the pancakes would definitely be burnt. Eddie wondered if he would somehow make it worse than the waffles. Either way, he was a little excited.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When his plate is set before him later, he swore his heart almost stopped. Instead of being burnt, the pancakes were a golden brown, made properly and all. “Here’s some syrup,” Richie said, handing him it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say. This was normally the time he’d argue, or throw a punch, but there was no reason to. He felt confused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Weren’t they enemies? Why didn’t he burn it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie ate his food, a little upset that he didn’t have the right to start a fight. Then again, he was pleased to have good food. Overall, his emotions were wack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, how was it?” Richie asked, taking his empty plate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re capable of making good food when you’re not being an asshole,” he acknowledged, which made Richie laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His heart beated faster, and he wanted to beat himself with a stick. This was his enemy, the Aaron Burr to his Alexander Hamilton! Not the Romeo to his Juliet! (It’s worth noting that Eddie doesn’t like being wrong.)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he got his receipt, he looked down and read the words Richie had written on it. On it was his phone number as well as, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re cute when you’re angry, -Richie xoxo.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he looked back up at his stupid face and realized this was not the rivalry he thought it was. Maybe Myra was more correct than he originally thought. He hadn’t really realized it before, but Richie was attractive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re strange,” Eddie said. “Like the weirdest guy I’ve ever met. We got in a fight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was swooning before the first punch,” Richie admitted, grinning. “And you were a little right. I need someone to put me in my place.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As much as he thinks Richie’s weird, he knows he’s weird too. He didn’t want to admit it before, but he was particularly obsessed with Richie. It was easy to tell himself it was just to settle the rivalry, but there was no denying the butterflies in his stomach when he walked into the restaurant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he was with Myra, all he really thought about was Richie. When they watched West Side Story, he thought of him. “Fuck,” Eddie said. “I like you.” He said it in the same tone one would say ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck my life’</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He does call him later, and they go on a date. Eddie paid a lot more attention this time around, and fully acknowledged the realization he had earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Waffle House Rivalry wasn’t much of a rivalry at all. Now he has a boyfriend, and a cactus that he hasn’t killed yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Overall, Eddie knew it was a win. </span>
</p>
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